The Moon lake
14-Oct and touching down at IGI Airport was a bitter landing. Leaving Bangalore was one of the most heart rending decisions that I had to take. More on that some other time.
Touching down, i brought with me the baggage of 4 and a half years and a few bedbugs. There was the usual "bhasad" of getting down and reaching home with the relief on my mother's face the only consolation. For her it was the return of the prodigal son, albeit without the repentance. But it was a false homecoming because Aayush Jain, that purveyor of outrageous ideas - speaker of mad things - overall slightly left of center, had made a huge plan in anticipation of Raghvi's wedding. A road trip of epic proportions and something that i had not yet undertaken. The trip pushed our boundaries till their breaking point, adverse climes, different dynamics but a sense of adventure overrode them all.
Day 0 - 11:45 pm. I reached in significant discomfort of not having slept for close to 36 hours and a raging acidity attack (courtesy my new found allergy to eggs) coupled with a snappy, hissy temper to boot. Curling up on the Jains' couch and waiting for AuriDa i had every intention of passing out the moment we began our journey. This was one of the few times i managed to do what i wanted, slept like a baby the moment we started and didn't wake up till we were about to hit Himachal.
As i woke up to the crisp morning wind bustling through the Windows of our Hoke (Mahindra - Scorpio Hawk, yup - left of center - Aayush called it that) I felt the knot of grievance loosening in my stomach. The mere sight of the mountains calling out to me like a long lost lover, only one feeling reverberated through me. I was Home.
Day 1: Tearing through the hills at breakneck speeds, occasionally stopping for some food and smoke we reached Manali thinking that the longest part of the trip was over.After braving the usual parking hassles of any hill station we checked into one of HP tourism's antiquated hotels. I was pleasantly surprised by their hospitality and service, but that could also have been due to my low expectations. Slept a little and took an evening walk up to the mall. It was all generally uneventful, tired we called it an early night. All revved up for the journey ahead.
And then it all went to shit.
Day 2: In a move that defied all our history together, Auri, the Jains and I woke early and left just an hour late from what was discussed the night before. Marveling inwardly at this unique incident we began our ascent towards Rohtang pass. Digressing a little, the army and BRO have at some places built world class roads in areas that are downright scary. Please note my expression "some places" with sensitivity.
But, 40 mins into our ascent our Bengali bro (who can't handle the cold) had a debilitating attack of gas. Now, you may laugh but until you have felt it, you have no idea how painful it is. So we stopped by a beautiful campground overlooking the outskirts of Manali while AuriDa lay prostrate on the grass trying to manage the pain. The pain drove him to utter blasphemous words like - Manali waapis chalte hain - but all of that was shushed instantly. After an hour of just lying there it got better and we got late. Minor problems of permits later, with entries into our suspense accounts, we were well and truly on our way. The road was absolutely beautiful, with us driving at 50-60 kph despite them not being the broadest in the world. But once we crossed Rohtang came the test. There was no road, and to my utter bewilderment Aayush said that this was the only road till we come back here. Let me tell you here folks that there is little to be amused about such roads when you are in any sort of vehicle. Covering a km turned into a torrid affair and we trudged along this goat path (for the lack of a better word) for the next couple of hours. We concluded our descent from Rohtang at Chattru and stopped at a quaint Dhaba to break for lunch. Our destination Bathel was 50 kms away and when asked about it, Jain saab said "Teen, saadhe teen ghante lag jaayenge" and here again i had the audacity to doubt his words.
I took the wheels from him here, and it was an education in Driving. I consider myself a pretty good driver but this added a dimension that i never knew could be built. The "goat path" had now devolved into an "idea" of a road. Basically it was just a dried river bed where larger stones had been moved aside to indicate a path. On we went, braving the elements.
We were high, not dope high, altitude high. That took a huge toll on Aayush and Ayushi (The Jains, yes those are their names), they got dehydrated and the constant change of altitude didn't let us acclimatise. But, on we drove and following the Chandra river immersed ourselves into the nothingness of it.
It was devastatingly beautiful and not in the "nature is so green, lush and bountiful way." It was the nothingness that was hauntingly beautiful, the absolute command of rock, ice and water. The barren hinterland of a place where clouds don't rain. It was iron and unyielding, the wrath of the gods. Hot during the day and bone chilling during the night. The mighty Himalyas, glaciers et.al. standing guard over the Spiti Valley and i felt small and helpless, like a mouse in the shadow of an eagle.
Reaching Bathel, Aayush was already unwell, Ayushi not so much. I was relieved by her to the utter dumbfoundedness of every single driver who passed us. One of whom wiped his eyes and rolled down his windows just to confirm whether she was a girl, to which i yelled out "Haan! Ladki hai". Switching back I started the most scary drive of my life. Our mission was reaching Chandrataal (Moon Lake) before moonrise, we had reached Bathel by 5 pm and it was already single digit cold. We started climbing, taking our SUV on a path more suited to mules.On the way, we met a Dutch guy "Koontz" whose bike had broken down (Royal Enfield, you missed a trick here. No Kick start on a bike that you call Himalayan, sheesh) and who was trembling like a leaf. We picked him up there and his story was also amazing, a little more on him later. Night had fallen, the temperature was on its way to sub-zero, visibility was next to nothing and on we trudged, our SUV finally struggling for air.
Still Day 2, 7 pm: We had all the intentions of going up to the lake for the moonrise. But, the conditions were such that our cautious sides prevailed and we finally stopped at Tenzings camp. The camp, surprisingly, was plush to the point of stuffy - A 4 man tent with at least 3 quilts per person. Aayush and Ayushi crashed instantly and Auri started setting up inside the tent. I on the other hand spotted a fire and did what you do on cold nights - sat beside the fire, joined soon by Koontz and his 2 biker friends Stefan and Mark. Now, these guys are as bad ass as they get.
They had heard about the Himachal circuit as one of the toughest bike circuits in the world (absolutely true), so Koontz and Stefan learnt how to bike, rented these bikes and went on the trip. The kicker being, both these guys learnt how to ride a bike a day before they started the trip WTF!!!! I was scared for them, but they were oblivious to all fear and only a sense of adventure prevailed for them. I too was slightly envious of how carefree they were. Ok, majorly envious.
Temperature had been sub-zero for a long time and heading towards double digit negative, effect being whatever part of me was not facing the fire was freezing off. But then i caught sight of something that will remain with me forever. Behind our camp, a glacier topped mountain, slowly being illuminated by the full moon which at that point in time was not visible to us. Staring intently at the mountain in front of us, the moon peeked and in 5 mins rose in all its majesty. The whole field lit up with its silver giving the desolation an ethereal and somewhat eerie feel. Like a land literally frozen in time and space. Bathing us in a cold light, the moon rose to the largest i have ever seen and i could imagine the wolves that would stare at it and call out. On a completely off beat note - Did i tell you that Tenzing made a killer joint, and distributed it like a Mafia Lord from the master/kitchen tent. Plus the dal-chawal-palak corn was the stuff of dreams. Downing a couple of rums and a couple of blunts later, around 11, we called it a night (Small side note - met a couple of bikers, from Jaypee University. Go figure).
Closing Day 2: Aayush and Ayushi are down, Auri Da is down after eating. I'm in a certain state of inebriation. Please note, Auri Da is feeling so cold that he has 5 quilts on him. Yours truly has 2.
Day 3, 2 am (so not that far from Day 2): Arijit wakes up Aayush "Yaar Aayush, saans nahi aa rahi hai" to which Aayush responds "ek kaam kar, 20 lambi saansein le" and promptly is back to sleep. A few minutes later i'm awake from the cold because Auri Da has thrown off all the quilts from himself, including mine and is chanting for the gods - seen and unseen. I'm not alarmed, i just turn over to catch some sleep.
Day 3, 9 am: I wake up to a gloriuos day and frozen water. There goes my plan of a peaceful trip to the loo. By 10 am, we are packed in our Hoke and move to Chandrataal - uneventfully. Everyone is still feeling the altitude it takes us 30 mins for a 500 m walk, but, as we crest that hill, I see it. We made it...we have at last arrived at the moon lake.
Day 3, 12 pm: Departure, and finally the altitude gets to me. Splitting fucking headache. Though, now the crucial bit is over. Everyone gets a bit better, and i don't have to drive post Bathel. Ayushi though, runs us up some rocks and then, after what feels like an eternity, we see paved, tar roads near Rohtang. "Saans mein saans aa gayi bhai"
This trip was physically taxing, it was mentally exhausting, emotionally draining. But, it fulfilled me in ways that i could not have foreseen. Reaffirming my belief, Himachal is my spiritual home.
Touching down, i brought with me the baggage of 4 and a half years and a few bedbugs. There was the usual "bhasad" of getting down and reaching home with the relief on my mother's face the only consolation. For her it was the return of the prodigal son, albeit without the repentance. But it was a false homecoming because Aayush Jain, that purveyor of outrageous ideas - speaker of mad things - overall slightly left of center, had made a huge plan in anticipation of Raghvi's wedding. A road trip of epic proportions and something that i had not yet undertaken. The trip pushed our boundaries till their breaking point, adverse climes, different dynamics but a sense of adventure overrode them all.
Day 0 - 11:45 pm. I reached in significant discomfort of not having slept for close to 36 hours and a raging acidity attack (courtesy my new found allergy to eggs) coupled with a snappy, hissy temper to boot. Curling up on the Jains' couch and waiting for AuriDa i had every intention of passing out the moment we began our journey. This was one of the few times i managed to do what i wanted, slept like a baby the moment we started and didn't wake up till we were about to hit Himachal.As i woke up to the crisp morning wind bustling through the Windows of our Hoke (Mahindra - Scorpio Hawk, yup - left of center - Aayush called it that) I felt the knot of grievance loosening in my stomach. The mere sight of the mountains calling out to me like a long lost lover, only one feeling reverberated through me. I was Home.
Day 1: Tearing through the hills at breakneck speeds, occasionally stopping for some food and smoke we reached Manali thinking that the longest part of the trip was over.After braving the usual parking hassles of any hill station we checked into one of HP tourism's antiquated hotels. I was pleasantly surprised by their hospitality and service, but that could also have been due to my low expectations. Slept a little and took an evening walk up to the mall. It was all generally uneventful, tired we called it an early night. All revved up for the journey ahead.And then it all went to shit.
Day 2: In a move that defied all our history together, Auri, the Jains and I woke early and left just an hour late from what was discussed the night before. Marveling inwardly at this unique incident we began our ascent towards Rohtang pass. Digressing a little, the army and BRO have at some places built world class roads in areas that are downright scary. Please note my expression "some places" with sensitivity.
But, 40 mins into our ascent our Bengali bro (who can't handle the cold) had a debilitating attack of gas. Now, you may laugh but until you have felt it, you have no idea how painful it is. So we stopped by a beautiful campground overlooking the outskirts of Manali while AuriDa lay prostrate on the grass trying to manage the pain. The pain drove him to utter blasphemous words like - Manali waapis chalte hain - but all of that was shushed instantly. After an hour of just lying there it got better and we got late. Minor problems of permits later, with entries into our suspense accounts, we were well and truly on our way. The road was absolutely beautiful, with us driving at 50-60 kph despite them not being the broadest in the world. But once we crossed Rohtang came the test. There was no road, and to my utter bewilderment Aayush said that this was the only road till we come back here. Let me tell you here folks that there is little to be amused about such roads when you are in any sort of vehicle. Covering a km turned into a torrid affair and we trudged along this goat path (for the lack of a better word) for the next couple of hours. We concluded our descent from Rohtang at Chattru and stopped at a quaint Dhaba to break for lunch. Our destination Bathel was 50 kms away and when asked about it, Jain saab said "Teen, saadhe teen ghante lag jaayenge" and here again i had the audacity to doubt his words.I took the wheels from him here, and it was an education in Driving. I consider myself a pretty good driver but this added a dimension that i never knew could be built. The "goat path" had now devolved into an "idea" of a road. Basically it was just a dried river bed where larger stones had been moved aside to indicate a path. On we went, braving the elements.
We were high, not dope high, altitude high. That took a huge toll on Aayush and Ayushi (The Jains, yes those are their names), they got dehydrated and the constant change of altitude didn't let us acclimatise. But, on we drove and following the Chandra river immersed ourselves into the nothingness of it.
It was devastatingly beautiful and not in the "nature is so green, lush and bountiful way." It was the nothingness that was hauntingly beautiful, the absolute command of rock, ice and water. The barren hinterland of a place where clouds don't rain. It was iron and unyielding, the wrath of the gods. Hot during the day and bone chilling during the night. The mighty Himalyas, glaciers et.al. standing guard over the Spiti Valley and i felt small and helpless, like a mouse in the shadow of an eagle.
Reaching Bathel, Aayush was already unwell, Ayushi not so much. I was relieved by her to the utter dumbfoundedness of every single driver who passed us. One of whom wiped his eyes and rolled down his windows just to confirm whether she was a girl, to which i yelled out "Haan! Ladki hai". Switching back I started the most scary drive of my life. Our mission was reaching Chandrataal (Moon Lake) before moonrise, we had reached Bathel by 5 pm and it was already single digit cold. We started climbing, taking our SUV on a path more suited to mules.On the way, we met a Dutch guy "Koontz" whose bike had broken down (Royal Enfield, you missed a trick here. No Kick start on a bike that you call Himalayan, sheesh) and who was trembling like a leaf. We picked him up there and his story was also amazing, a little more on him later. Night had fallen, the temperature was on its way to sub-zero, visibility was next to nothing and on we trudged, our SUV finally struggling for air.
Still Day 2, 7 pm: We had all the intentions of going up to the lake for the moonrise. But, the conditions were such that our cautious sides prevailed and we finally stopped at Tenzings camp. The camp, surprisingly, was plush to the point of stuffy - A 4 man tent with at least 3 quilts per person. Aayush and Ayushi crashed instantly and Auri started setting up inside the tent. I on the other hand spotted a fire and did what you do on cold nights - sat beside the fire, joined soon by Koontz and his 2 biker friends Stefan and Mark. Now, these guys are as bad ass as they get.
They had heard about the Himachal circuit as one of the toughest bike circuits in the world (absolutely true), so Koontz and Stefan learnt how to bike, rented these bikes and went on the trip. The kicker being, both these guys learnt how to ride a bike a day before they started the trip WTF!!!! I was scared for them, but they were oblivious to all fear and only a sense of adventure prevailed for them. I too was slightly envious of how carefree they were. Ok, majorly envious.
Temperature had been sub-zero for a long time and heading towards double digit negative, effect being whatever part of me was not facing the fire was freezing off. But then i caught sight of something that will remain with me forever. Behind our camp, a glacier topped mountain, slowly being illuminated by the full moon which at that point in time was not visible to us. Staring intently at the mountain in front of us, the moon peeked and in 5 mins rose in all its majesty. The whole field lit up with its silver giving the desolation an ethereal and somewhat eerie feel. Like a land literally frozen in time and space. Bathing us in a cold light, the moon rose to the largest i have ever seen and i could imagine the wolves that would stare at it and call out. On a completely off beat note - Did i tell you that Tenzing made a killer joint, and distributed it like a Mafia Lord from the master/kitchen tent. Plus the dal-chawal-palak corn was the stuff of dreams. Downing a couple of rums and a couple of blunts later, around 11, we called it a night (Small side note - met a couple of bikers, from Jaypee University. Go figure).
Closing Day 2: Aayush and Ayushi are down, Auri Da is down after eating. I'm in a certain state of inebriation. Please note, Auri Da is feeling so cold that he has 5 quilts on him. Yours truly has 2.Day 3, 2 am (so not that far from Day 2): Arijit wakes up Aayush "Yaar Aayush, saans nahi aa rahi hai" to which Aayush responds "ek kaam kar, 20 lambi saansein le" and promptly is back to sleep. A few minutes later i'm awake from the cold because Auri Da has thrown off all the quilts from himself, including mine and is chanting for the gods - seen and unseen. I'm not alarmed, i just turn over to catch some sleep.
Day 3, 9 am: I wake up to a gloriuos day and frozen water. There goes my plan of a peaceful trip to the loo. By 10 am, we are packed in our Hoke and move to Chandrataal - uneventfully. Everyone is still feeling the altitude it takes us 30 mins for a 500 m walk, but, as we crest that hill, I see it. We made it...we have at last arrived at the moon lake.Day 3, 12 pm: Departure, and finally the altitude gets to me. Splitting fucking headache. Though, now the crucial bit is over. Everyone gets a bit better, and i don't have to drive post Bathel. Ayushi though, runs us up some rocks and then, after what feels like an eternity, we see paved, tar roads near Rohtang. "Saans mein saans aa gayi bhai"
This trip was physically taxing, it was mentally exhausting, emotionally draining. But, it fulfilled me in ways that i could not have foreseen. Reaffirming my belief, Himachal is my spiritual home.
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